Customer Reviews

Wait Until Midnight

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

While Queen Victoria grieves the loss of her beloved Albert and the members of Polite Society emulate her wearing mourning jewelry, physical research is the rage. When Adam Hardesty enters medium Elizabeth Delmont's home, he finds her dead, her skull crushed by a poker. She is wearing a wedding veil and brooch with a broken pocket watch nearby stopped at 12 o'clock.

The next day Adam visits Caroline Fordyce who attended a séance at the victim's home just hours before the murder occurred. He asks Caroline if she took a diary that belonged to the medium because he does not want secrets about his past to come out. Caroline insists she does not have it and fears her secrets will become known. She persuades Adam to allow her to join him on his investigation. When a second medium is murdered, the broken watch left behind at the crime scene has Adam's name on it. Caroline provides Adam an alibi. As they continue to make inquiries, they become lovers and try to keep the other safe struggling with the case.

Amanda Quick is deservedly respected for her terrific Regency romantic suspense novels, but in WAIT UNTIL MIDNIGHT, the talented author switches settings to the Victorian era yet maintains high quality of her previous historical romantic mysteries. Her latest tale has a gothic feel to the plot, but as expected the hero and heroine are likable characters whom readers will become absorbed in their investigation as much as their evolving relationship that ultimately turns to love, danger, and risk. Regardless of the time period, Ms. Quick provides a fabulous tale that seems always to land on the keeper shelf.

Harriet Klausner

Wait Until Midnight is another Historical Romance from Amanda Quick, penname of Jayne Ann Krentz. Her Quick books have been somewhat of a let down for this diehard JAK fan. She is formula whether in Contemporary JAK or the Historical Quick. A formula I adore, so I often forgive her things (such as a feel of word padding) I might not of another author. I have been reading her and have everything she's ever written and until the last five years I would call her books "Keepers". I'm not sure where the formula went "off", but it has in several of her books, especially her Historicals. After reading Wait Until Midnight, I am glad I waited until paperback release instead of hardback. It's not bad, and for any Quick/JAK fan it's a nice enjoyable visit to an "old friend". But the formula lacks it's usual JAK dazzle. She seems to hit and miss in the 2000's. One powerhouse novel such as JAK's Falling Awake, then a so-so. This is the so-so. Enjoyable but soon forgotten.

It has all the right Quick elements, just the mix doesn't gel with the perfection of other JAK novels. Adam Hardesty comes into Caroline Fordyce's life, dark, dangerous and meaning business. He's on the trail of blackmailer, who has turned murderer - or possibly a murderer who kills a blackmailer and intends to pick up blackmailing. Adam is determined to find out which and put a stop to the threat to his family. Caroline is the only link to the murdered Elizabeth Delmont, a medium in Victoria's England. The diary with holds the threat to Adam's siblings is missing from the dead woman's home, and the only clues left behind - the corpse was wearing a wedding veil and a brooch pocket watch. Nearly crushed in the killing blows from a poke, the watch is stopped at 12 o'clock. The trail leads Adam to Caroline, since she was at the seance the night of Delmont's murder. Caroline, too, is hiding secrets so Adam's forceful presence alarms her, despite the man himself intriguing her.

Soon a second medium is murdered, with a broken watch left as a clue on the scene. Only, this watch has Adam's name on it. Fortunately for Adam, Caroline provides him with an alibi. The mismatched duo of opposites attract (typical of all JAK heroes and heroines!) join forces to solve the murders, remove the threat to their families and fall in love along the way.

Quick fans will enjoy this, though will hardly call it a `keeper'. It's a nice enjoyable read, that could have been improved by tighter editing to speed the pace. In the first 100 pages, Adam and Caroline are rarely in each other's company. Also, JAK needs to rediscover the passion in writing romance, not just turning out her next book. When she hits the target no one can touch her. This one is just a little right of bull's-eye. Not-devoted-fans, might want to give this a pass as they will be less pleased with this effort. If you have never read Quick before, I recommend reading any of her earlier Quick novels for perfection to see JAK at her prime.

Caroline Fordyce writes sensational romance serials for one of the newspapers in London. Three years earlier she had to change her name and find a way to support herself and her two aunts. The Great Scandel, as she calls it, has killed all hopes for her marriage and happiness. Although she changed her name and moved to London she stays clear of the ton so no one will recognize her. Living on the outskirts of society with her aunts is a very quiet life. She is involved with the Society of Psychical Investigations. She plans to put a medium in her next serial. While she lives a quiet life, she has a hunger for a grand adventure.

Adam Hardesty is a member of society who has a secret. He is trying to protect his adoptive siblings from exposure in a stolen journal. The journal is being used to blackmail him and his family. It has somehow fallen into the hands of a medium named Elizabeth Delmont. When he finds her dead in her house, he searches for the journal. Unable to find it he starts to investigate the people who had attended her last seance. One of these is Caroline. And before you know it they are deeply involved in the murder and mysteries going on in the Society.

With humor and wit we enjoy their adventure and the inevitable romance that developes.

I love Amanda Quick and this is a wonderful story.

I really liked this newest edition from Amanda Quick. I am a huge fan and found this latest edition to be just what the doctor ordered for a night of fun, romantic reading. I liked everything about the book from the characters to the plot. I did not find it lacking and I really like it when there is nothing in the way of the hero and heroine getting together. I prefer to read about other circumstances outside the romance. I want my characters to have immediate chemistry and move forward from there. I dont' need suspense or guessing when it comes to them falling in love. Let the mystery come from other characters, throwing the hero and heroine together and in danger. But they should always trust eachother and stand up for eachother. This was definately the case with Wait until Midnight. When the time came to stand up for him, she didn't hesitate and he did the same for her. I liked Adam a lot. I liked his makeshift family. I found him very sexy. I didn't want the story to end.

Reading one of Amanda Quick's books is like cuddling under a really soft blanket in front of a magnificent fire. I can never put her books down and I couldn't wait to order more of her books. I had six AQ books on my Christmas List!
I may actually try one of Jayne Ann Krentz's books once i finish the Amanda Quick catalog. I happened upon one of her books and she's been on my favorite romantic authors list ever since.
Great book!

Has Amanda Quick lost her touch? As an enthusiastic reader of her previous books, I certainly hope not; however, this latest offering makes one wonder. Completely lacking the sparkle and charm of earlier Quick works like "Deception" and "Mistress", this book falls victim to recycled plot devices and stock characters. For example, readers are introduced to a pair of lesbian "aunts", the heroine is a virgin posing as a widow, and the heroine has a creative career....all ideas used constantly in her other books. Nor would I have a problem with the romance being secondary to the mystery, as indeed it is. Yet this romance is so uninspired and flat, it is not even remotely believable. Adam and Caroline seem to kiss in the first few chapters because that is what Amanda Quick charcters always do, and not because the reader feels there is any genuine desire between them. The rest of the love scenes are just plain boring and trite. Even Caroline's oppostion to marriage echoes that of a dozen of other Quick heroines. I am glad I just got this from the library and didn't waste my money on it--indeed, I think if you read this you will understand why it was released only as a paperback and not as a hardcover, because the hardcover expense would not be justifiable. Having said all this, if you have not read other Amanda Quick romances, please treat yourself to early gems like "Mystique" or "Mistress". These books, while light and quickly read (for those days when you want something light and quickly read) are witty, fun, and cute.

Amanda Quick serves up more of her tried-and-true formula. An intelligent, spunky heroine, a stoic, strong and silent hero, a mystery with a little twist, and the requisite tender love scene. I admit I love the formula. Mainly because the heroine is intelligent and spunky and usually has an interesting occupation. In this case, Caroline is a serialised novel writer who has to invent a history for herself to escape a Great Scandal. There are some tender scenes between her and Adam as they share their respective checkered pasts. They are both likeable. The mystery trots effortlessly along to its conclusion, with a nice little twist. Of course, after a while, all the Amanda Quick romances tend to blend into one another, but they're very enjoyable in the process.

I had read the mixed reviews here when I picked up the book. I have had very mixed feelings regarding her more recent works. I enjoyed the Paid Companion and sicee this wasn't part of the recent series, I picked it up, but I wasn't holding my breath. I loved this book. The begining was a littls slow going. But as the main characters got to know each other I really enjoyed the connection. I found myself smiling in the middle of it. I really liked that the mystery aspect was not overly obvious (although I was reading it as a romance novel, not a mystery, so I wasn't really trying to solve the mystery). I also liked that the mystery climaxed at the very end of the novel. My biggest complaint is that two of the characters are named Julia and Julian. Granted, these characters are never together and it isn't too confusing, but of all the names in the world to come up with it seems strange that they would do this. The psychic aspect of the novel was interesting. I loved learning the history of our hero and his unusual family. I loved Quick introduced us to some shady characters just to throw us off the real villian's trail. Good read. I am probably givig it such a high rating because I am pleasantly surprised after some of Quick's other, recent books. Some of my favorites from her past writing include "renvezvous" and "seduction."

Quick intoduces Caroline and Adam to each other in such a bazaar manner, that you see Quick's creativity and taste the ironical in a most entertaining way. This book is best enjoyed on the unabridged Audio CD, in case you missed it in the book. Quick deviates from her simple sweet humorous though quick paced style to murder, suspense and intrigue with a dash of humor. The development of this love affair has some unexpected twists in the plot and the actors on the audio CD portray the story with fast moving reality. This book is easily Listened To over and over. Its a fun book, a fun read.

If you expect more than a love story reading don't read this book. If you want to read an 1800's year séance love story this is the one. No eerie or spooky at all, just a love story. This book is to relax and read. You'll never be thrilled by its story but it'll keep you reading all the time. Sometimes you'll want to read it and sometimes you'll want to watch TV. So I can say that you can take this book to the beach and read it there with a piña colada.

P.S. After you read this book you'll know why the bride wears a white gown on her wedding.